1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diagnostic program, a switching program, a testing apparatus, and a diagnostic method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a diagnostic program, a switching program, a testing apparatus, and a diagnostic method for diagnosing a test module and the testing apparatus includes a plurality of test modules for providing a device under test with a test signal and a control apparatus for controlling the plurality of test modules.
2. Description of the Related Art
A testing apparatus for testing a device under test (“DUT”) such as a memory, a logic LSI, or a Soc (System on Chip) determines pass/fail of the DUT, for example, by providing a test signal to the input terminal of the DUT and comparing an output signal output from the output terminal in response to the test signal with an expectation value. For a conventional testing apparatus, the kind (or type) of a test module for inputting and outputting a signal between the testing apparatus and a DUT is fixedly determined according to the position of a slot of a main frame of the testing apparatus in which the test module is inserted.
A testing apparatus has a diagnostic function of judging normality or abnormality. The testing apparatus diagnoses function of each test module as normality or abnormality during a diagnostic operation. For the diagnosis of a test module which is an object to be diagnosed, an input and output test is performed to input a signal for diagnosis output by the test module to another test module to compare with an expectation value and input a signal for diagnosis output by another test module to the test module to compare with an expectation value, for example.
Conventionally, a method for executing a diagnostic program on a control apparatus of a testing apparatus and diagnosing each part of the testing apparatus has been used with the object of detecting a fault of the testing apparatus. Here, the kind of a test module inserted into each slot of the conventional testing apparatus is predetermined. Thus, conventionally, an object diagnostic program for diagnosing a test module which is an object to be diagnosed inputs and outputs a signal for diagnosis between the test module to be diagnosed and a known test module. In other words, the object diagnostic program performs input and output of a signal for diagnosis between the test module to be tested and another test module of a predetermined kind by calling a signal for diagnosis input and output program for controlling another test module.
With regard to this, recently, an open architecture such as OPENSTAR (registered trademark) with the object of increasing degree of freedom of the configuration of a testing apparatus is suggested (for example, see Semiconductor Test Consortium, “STC ANNOUNCES PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE OPENSTAR™ SPECS”, [ONLINE], Dec. 7, 2004, [searched on Mar. 16, 2005], internet<URL:http://www.semitest.org/site/News/STC_Spec_Open_to_Public>).
For a testing apparatus using the open architecture, it is possible to place various kinds of test modules based on the open architecture in each slot. In case this kind of testing apparatus is programmed so as to call a signal for diagnosis input and output program for controlling another test module of a predetermined kind from an object diagnostic program of a test module which is an object to be tested similarly with the conventional testing apparatus, it is impossible to properly diagnose the test module if another test module provided in the testing apparatus is changed. Therefore, it is required to change the object diagnostic program when another test module is changed.